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For Immediate Release:
January 30, 2020
For More Information Contact:
Council Member Casey Thomas, District 3
214-422-9710
Dallas, TX – Workforce, Education and Equity Committee Chairman Casey Thomas released the following statement on the Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment presentation at Goodwill Industries at 3020 N. Westmoreland Rd:
“I had the opportunity to attend today’s Dallas County Community Health Needs Assessment presentation at Goodwill this morning. As the chair of the Workforce, Education and Equity Committee, it is my responsibility to make sure the city is focused on creating equity across the city as a whole. As someone who was born and raised in Pleasant Grove (zip code 75217), none of this data was new. I have the pleasure of representing District 3 on the Dallas City Council. I represent residents who live in the southwestern part of Dallas. The unhealthiest zip codes in Dallas County are in southern Dallas. The zip codes with the worst socioeconomic status are in southern Dallas. The lowest life expectancy rate is in southern Dallas. I could go on and on and the results would be the same. However, many people who live and grew up in southern Dallas have beat the statistics. They have gone on to graduate from high school and college and to become doctors, lawyers, business professionals and even elected officials.
Today’s community needs assessment painted a grim picture. However, Dallas County Health and Human Services and Parkland Hospital have committed this time to develop an implementation plan to address these disparities that have impacted southern Dallas for decades. The City of Dallas is doing its part.
We have developed a Dallas Resilient Strategy to address economic inequity, transportation, housing and infrastructure, and the environment. The one area that we cannot impact in our plan is healthcare. Health and wellness must be a priority for Parkland and for Dallas County. We have to not only address our health care needs, but we must put a focus on prevention, wellness and fitness.
We must take this important conversation into Pleasant Grove, Oak Cliff and West Dallas. We must invite people who live in these communities to be a part of the solution. We must take ownership and create partnerships to make access to health care available in every community, especially communities of color.
We will not wait for the next community assessment in three years to see improvements in our neighborhood. The time is now and the place is right here. We must start today to make things better for our seniors, Generation X and every generation to follow. If our children are going to have a brighter future tomorrow, it starts with us today. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 214-422-9710.”
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